How to market a book – 3 tips for writers using Twitter
When my company Write One Publications, Inc. joined Twitter, my personal account had been open for a while and I was tweeting regularly.
With my business account, I instead took a little time to observe the conversation of other writers and the publishing industry to determine the best way my business could provide value.
Twitter has a unique yet intriguing vibe.
It’s all pretty random when you think about it.
At times it feels like I’ve walked into a room full of people talking… and then after a few seconds I interrupt with my own random conversation. My followers then break from their conversations to join in on mine. And on and on it goes…lol.
Even with all the randomness, I enjoy Twitter! So my focus was determining my value and using that value to not only market my book but to increase my Twitter followers and to have engaged followers who are also my target audience.
I’ve compiled a list of three book marketing tips that writers can apply now to improve their presence on Twitter and find their target market. These tips will be useful for writers using Twitter:
(1) Listen and engage in the conversation – Use #hashtags to listen to what writers and readers are discussing on Twitter. Don’t be afraid to engage in the conversation or provide value to someone looking for tips and advice on a particular subject. Engaging helps you attract new followers, and increases traffic to your blog or website.
(2) Network – Make a good first impression. Welcome your new followers and take a few minutes, if possible, to view their Twitter profile. Follow an array of people that will be useful to you. I follow writers, publishing companies, editors, social media gurus, wine bloggers, moms, entrepreneurs and I could go on and on. When I sign into Twitter in the morning, my timeline is sprinkled with useful articles, links to blog posts, and inspirational quotes. This gives me exposure to a range of topics throughout my day which is useful for blogging and listening to the trend of both my target audience and the publishing industry.
In turn I provide value to the timeline of others through my blog posts, writing tips, events, useful links, etc.
Remember, Twitter or any other social media site is not about “numbers” only. While a slew of followers is important for the “big picture,” followers who are engaged is way more significant!
Build a network! And when possible network beyond what Twitter provides.
(3) Use your time wisely – Let’s face it social media can be a time sink and can really draw you away from what you should be doing and that’s writing. If you’re good at multi-tasking, jumping on and off Twitter throughout the day won’t seem like too much of a disruption. If it seems like a distraction, determine what time(s) of the day your audience is signed on. I usually sign in three times a day (morning, noon, and early evening).
From my experience, I find that writers are on first thing in the morning. Midday and evening seems to attract users signing in from their desks or just returning home from work.
Knowing this allows me the ability to divvy my time between social media, writing, blogging and the other responsibilities of my company.
It’s also important to note that you may find it valuable to log on more than once a day. Depending on the number of followers another user has, they may or may not see your tweets. On the days that you choose to join in on the conversation, logging on twice a day may better your chances of your tweets being seen!
Note: These tips can be applied to any social media site.
Above all, have fun! Some of my best laughs come from my Twitter timeline, and it’s also where I gain knowledge on an array of topics. That sounds like a win win situation to me! What are your tips for Twitter? Please share in the comment section below.
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Great post. I'm still learning my way around Twitter, so I need all the info I can get.
Thanks Debbie!
I love twitter. It's such a great and fun way to help market yourself. I love connecting with people who I may not really meet in real life, but yet, there they are. To be able to share what you have to say and connect with others is fun for me.
Great tips! Sometimes, I do let twitter take up a lot of my time haha. You have to be careful on that site sometimes.
Melissa – Am I already following you on Twitter?
You're following me via The Write One Blog twitter.
This is great advice! Sometimes when I get very absorbed with twitter, I find myself feeling like I'm wasting time and I'm not saying that's never the case. But this reminds me why I got a twitter account in the first place – to network. And it's an awesome tool for that if you use it as such. Thanks Stefanie!
I have to remind myself as well. Sometimes I'm just on there lurking and then I'll go "Oh, I'm here for a reason." LOL.
Thanks Deana! There's a video on Youtube called Twitter In Real Life. You should check it out, its hilarious!
I really appreciate your post and you explain each and every point very well.Thanks for sharing this information.And I'll love to read your next post too.
Regards
Mcx Tips
Thanks I appreciate you reading.
You are so cool! I don’t believe I’ve truly read through something like this before.
So nice to find another person with unique thoughts on this topic.
Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up. This site is one thing that is needed on the internet, someone with some originality!
Thank you Dirk, that means a lot!Sent from my iPad
That is a really good tip especially to those new to
the blogosphere. Brief but very accurate information… Thank you
for sharing this one. A must read post!
Thank you!Sent from my iPhone